Gun perforator



y 1942- A. J. ZSCHOKKE Filed Afig. 4, 1941 INVENTOR Aer/r06 dZscw ox/ri U ATTORNEY A n; 4 a

Patented July 7, 1942' UNITED STATE s ATENT OFFICE 1 GUN PERFORATOR imm J. Zschokke, Huntington Park, Calif., as-

, signor to Lane-Wells Company, Los Angeles,

Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application August 4, 941, Serial No. 405,341 7 7 Claims. (Cl.1640.5)

My invention relates to gun perforators; that is, to devices which are lowered within well casing for the purpose of firing bullets through the casing in the formation to provide passages for the entrance of 011. As the technique and equipment for drilling oil wells have improved the trend has been to the drilling of wells having a smaller diameter than has heretofore been possible. Such small hole drilling, or slim hole" drilling, as it is termed in the oil industry; has

increased the need'for gun perforators having relatively small diameter. For example, in ordinary drilling, casing is used in which a gun or 5% inches in diameter may be lowered. In slim hole" drilling the gun perforator may be only two or three inches in diameter. 1 have, therefore,

devised a gun perforator which lends itself particularly to construction in small sizes. the objects of my invention are:

First, to provide a gun perforator which may be relatively small in diameter, as small as two or three inches, and yet develop sufllcient power to drive a bullet through well casing;-

Second. to provide a gun perforator which has a maximum barrel length in proportion to its diameter, whereby maximum velocity of the bullet may be obtained;

Third, to provide a gun perforator which, although particularly adapted for manufacture in small diameters, incorporates a novel electrical wiring arrangement whereby a large number of gun unitsiincorporated in the gun perforator may be fired individually;

Fourth, to provide a gun perforator which is easily serviced, that is, easily cleaned and reloaded;

Fifth, to provide an electrically fired gun perforator wherein the exposure of the lead wires from the several gun units is reduced to a minimum and the lead wires are protected or view through 2-2 of Figure 1, showing one ofv thegununits;

Among Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view through 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure '4 is another transverse sectional view through H of Figure 2; and I Figure 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view similar to Figure 2 but showing a modified arrangement of the gun bore and cartridge bore.

My gun perforator comprises 'a gun body I in the form of a solid cylindrical bar of metal in which various bores and channels are provided in order to form a plurality of gun units. Thegun body is provided with a series of laterally directed gun bores 2 which are equally spaced and preferably pointing in diflerent directions,

their muzzle ends defining a spiral along the gun body. The inner end of each gun bore is intersected by the inner end of a cartridge bore 3 which extends longitudinally with respect to the .gun body, but at an acute angle with respect to shielded from the fluid surges due to the discharge of the gun units or movement .of the gun perforator along the well bore; and

Sixth, to provide a gun perforator which, al though relatively small in diameter, lends itself to spiral arrangement of the gun units so that the bullets may be discharged in different directions and therefore distributed around the casing in which the gun perforator is discharged.

With the above and other objects inview, as may appear hereinafter, reference is directed to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l, is a fragmentary elevational view of my gun perforator;

its axis, the outer end-of the cartridge' bore intersecting the same side of the gun body as its corresponding gun bore.

The outer end of each cartridge bore 3 is counterbored, as indicated by I, to form a seat for the head of-a plug 5 which screws into the cartridge bore. Inwardly of theplug 3 the cartridge bore 3 receives an explosive cartridge i. The cartridge 6 and plug I are, insofar as this invention is concerned, conventional. The plug is provided with a suitable lead wire I which 7 extends therethrough to the'cartridge B for electrical contact with a conventional electrically responsive means for igniting the cartridge.

Each gun bore 2 receives abullet l and its outer end is closed by a sealing cap 9. A spirally directed distributor wire channel III is formed in the gun body in such a. manner as to pass diametrically opposite the counterbore 4 of each cartridge bore. The channel in is provided with Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional a cover plate II which may be made in sections a corresponding lead wire I. The terminal unit shown is the subject of another application and it incorporates a cavity containing mercury for effecting electrical connection between the lead wire I and its distributor wire l2.

It will be noted that, from comparison of the drawing, the manner in which the distributor wire channel is spiralled is such that it clears the several gim units and at the same time occupies a diametrical relationship with the'cartridge bores, so that electrical connection may be made therewith. Also, by reason of the fact that the terminal socket intersects the counterbore nearits inner end, the lead wire extending from the plug to the terminal is set well within the outline of the gun body and well protected. It should also'be noted that each gun unit may be assembled or disassembled without disturbing I .the other gun units, or the electrical wiring;

and, further, that the number of gun unitswhich may be incorporated is limited only by the practical length of the gun body.

Reference is now directed to Figure 5, in which a modified arrangement of the gun bore and 'cartridgebore is shown. In this construction the gun bore 2| is deeper than the. gun bore 2.

The cartridge bore 22, however, is similar to the cartridge bore 3, but is provided with an exten-.

sion 23 ofsmaller diameter intersecting the inner end of the gun bore 2|; With this arrangement the gun bore may occupy as much as two-thirds said gun body; and means defining passages connecting said channel with said cartridge bores.

3. A gun periorator comprising: ;a cylindrical body defining a plurality oi longitudinally extending cartridge bores inclined with respect to the axis of said gun body; said gun body defining a plurality of laterally directed gun bores, each intersecting the inner extremity of a-corresponding cartridge bore; a plug and electrically responsive cartridge for each cartridge bore, a bullet for said gun bore; the outer end of each cartridge bore being enlarged to receive said plug;

said gun body defining a distributor wire channel located substantially diametrically opposite the enlarged outer ends oi. said cartridge bore; 7

respect to the axisof said-gun body; said gun or three fourths of the total diameter of the gun body. This is of practical importance for the reason that the velocity of the bullet and its penetrating power is a function of the length of the gun bore, so that the longer the gun bore the greater the penetrating power of the bullet, other factorsbeing equal. I

Various changes and alternate arrangements may be made within the scope of the appended claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in the invention as broadly as the prior art permits.

I claim:

1. A gun perforator comprising: a gun body defining a laterally directed gun-bore and an axially directed, inclined cartridge bore intersecting the inner end of the gun bore and intersecting the surface of said gun body at a point axially displaced from said gun bore; a distributor wire channel located on the opposite side of the gun body from the intersection of said cartridge bore therewith; and' a passage connecting said cartridge bore and channel.

2'. A gun perforator comprising: a plurality of gun units incorporated in a common body member; each gun unit including a cartridge bore and a gun bore defining a common vertical plane,

said gun bore located in a horizontal plane in said gun body, and said cartridge bore extending body defining a laterally extending gun bore in a vertical plane common to said cartridge bore;

said gun body defining further an extension of smaller diameter than said cartridge bore and continuing therefrom into intersection with said gun bore. I

6. A gun perforator comprisingza series of gun units incorporated integrally in a common gun body and arranged one above the. other along, the body, each gun unit including a gun bore and a cartridge bore arranged-in a common vertical plane, said cartridge bore disposed longitudinally and said cartridge bore inclined with respect to the axis of said gun body, the outer extremity of each cartridge bore overlapping axially the, gun bore of the adjacent gun unit .and displaced arcuatelytherefrom.

7. A gun perforatorv comprising: a series of gun units incorporated integrally in a common gun body and arranged one above the other along the body, each gun unit including a gun bore and a cartridge bore arranged-in a common vertical plane, said cartridge bore disposed longitudinally and said cartridge bore inclined with respect to 

